M6:3866 — بر زنخ سه چار مو بهر نمون / بهتر از سی خشت گرداگرد کون

Translation: Two or three sparse hairs on the chin, for a sign (of maturity and freedom), Are better than thirty bricks laid all around the backside (for protection).

Meaning: Maulana asserts that even a slight trace of divine grace, appearing as a mere sign in a person, far surpasses any amount of human effort or self-contrived defenses for protection, being both more effective and enduring.

This stirring couplet emerges from the Masnavi's story of the amrad (the beardless youth)'s lament against sexual harassment. The amrad, who finds no refuge from people's lustful aggressions, looks with profound envy at a kūsa (a man with only a few sparse hairs on his chin) and exclaims: 'With just those few hairs, he is safe from suffering and peril.' Those two or three seemingly insignificant hairs here symbolize a trace of divine grace that protects the individual from misfortunes and greedy desires, whereas 'thirty bricks laid all around the backside' is an allegory for the material fences and human stratagems one employs to protect oneself.

I have repeatedly stated that Maulana consistently, throughout the Masnavi, prioritizes divine grace and favor over self-reliant efforts and 'devotion-worshipping endeavors.' The bricks one arranges around oneself are inherently weak and vulnerable to attack; Satan can shatter them and find a way to the person. This reliance on one's own actions ultimately becomes a bandit for the soul. But those few hairs, symbolizing divine favor, are from 'that other side,' and for this reason, they bestow an eternal and inalienable immunity. This distinction between what 'you have laid down' and what 'has been bestowed' is infinitely meaningful.

Maulana employs a beautiful analogy to elucidate this truth: You place hundreds of locks on your door, but a daring thief can break them all and plunder your house. Yet, sometimes a shahnā (a constable or prosecutor) arrives and places only a small wax seal on that door; that very seal, though weaker than any lock, carries such sanctity that even strongmen fear breaking it and turn away. That small seal is a sign of a greater power standing behind it, just as those few hairs symbolize an 'imperial writ of immunity and royal gift.'

This couplet also unveils Maulana's unparalleled frankness in language use. Maulana does not shy away from using blunt and direct words when expressing truths. He uses terms like 'mother-seller' (a severe insult) and 'backside' to present an unvarnished picture of society's harsh realities and the colloquial language of his time. This demonstrates that for him, truth-telling takes precedence over superficial considerations and conventional euphemisms; for conveying deep meaning, he turns away from no word. He is not a craftsman-poet like Hafez, chiseling words; rather, he is a natural poet who harnesses language to serve his intuition. He lays truth bare before us as it is, no matter how bitter or stark. Here, frankness and unadorned speech are tools for conveying the depth and reality of the subject, not mere rhetoric or impropriety.

Key takeaways

• Divine grace and favor surpass all human efforts and contrivances for self-preservation.
• Self-reliant human endeavors are vulnerable and fragile when faced with temptations and calamities.
• Divine bestowal grants eternal and unassailable protection, stronger than any material defense.
• Maulana is unafraid to use blunt and explicit language in expressing truths, prioritizing candor over euphemism.
• This couplet emphasizes the superiority of mahv (effacement in God) over nahv (reliance on rules and personal effort).
• Maulana's direct language in this verse demonstrates his naturalistic approach and lack of artifice in poetry.